Considering a conversion from IPB to vB then xF

Active member

I've had headaches for the last four days. We decided to move my IPB forum to a new dedicated server to accommodate growth and get off a bad host. The server is fine, everything works correctly. A vanilla install of IPB works absolutely fine. The problem we've been slowly killing ourselves with is that when we import the entire database (including the gallery) to the new installation, all hell breaks loose. The only thing that works is the board index. Click on anything and you'll get one of a few million possible errors. I've got a bunch of webdevs assisting me and we just can't figure out why it won't work! So with my frustration building, I want to get some feedback here from the community regarding an option I'm considering. I'm thinking about taking just the essential tables such as users, posts, threads, etc, running that through a vB importer and then running that through an xF importer and have my forum running on xF. The database is not corrupt in case you're wondering. So do you think this would be a good move? I like xF and I can do without the gallery. I've got a friend that could probably make standalone gallery that will work better (just without any integration with the IPB forum that's supposed to be coming in the new version). Lastly, I would like to know the proper steps in doing this. To which version should I convert the IPB database to (in regards to vB) and what measure should I take so that everything works out smoothly?

Active member

Wait, so the importer is only for vB customer? Not released to the public?

Well, that defeats my plan. I've got a friend or two with active licenses that could pass it to me but I suppose I'll just have to bite the bullet and wait for Kier to have the official IPB to xF importer out.

XenForo moderator

... A vanilla install of IPB works absolutely fine. The problem we've been slowly killing ourselves with is that when we import the entire database (including the gallery) to the new installation, all hell breaks loose ...

I don't like the sound of this. Attempting to "import" your forum information to a new installation of the same application (IPB to IPB) is almost always a bad idea. You should contact IPB support if you are having trouble with your original installation.

Active member

I don't like the sound of this. Attempting to "import" your forum information to a new installation of the same application (IPB to IPB) is almost always a bad idea. You should contact IPB support if you are having trouble with your original installation.

A server move does not involve a new installation or an import. You just need to copy everything over to the new server.

Importing to XenForo is a separate process. You will still need to do the server move. I recommend doing the move first. Once you have confirmed that everything is working on the new server then you can do the import to XenForo. It is possible to do the move and import at the same time but I recommend against it unless you are comfortable with both tasks.

Active member

Thanks Jake. I'll show this to the boys to see if it that can serve as a guide. We actually tried a manual back up and restore (1.5GB) and we had an even worse problem than importing the DB to a vanilla install.